Wednesday, I met with Dr. K. who was not happy with me. She said that if I had been doing badly for the past two weeks, I should have used the university's e-mail system to let her know. She would have begun the run of drugs sooner. My mistake. I worry that I am contacting her inappropriately. I don't want to be a bother. I should have.
My DLCO dropped from 15 to 12. No change in my VLC. She listened to my lungs and heard the sounds of bronchitis in my lower right lobe. Acute bronchitis for the second time in under six months. After this run of drugs, she is going to add an antibiotic to my run of medications.
So, I began two weeks of 40 mgs of prednisone from two weeks then 35mgs for the next two weeks then 30mgs....you get the idea. After six weeks, I will have a CT scan to see how I am doing.
Why did this happen? I think I worked too closely to the dirt when turning garden beds about two weeks before I needed supplemental oxygen in the rehab class. Some organic compound in the dirt kicked in my hypersensitivity causing inflammation thus the drop of my DLCO. The prednisone should calm everything down and the antibiotics will help any lasting bacterial infection.
Dr. K. also told me to cool my jets. I grocery shopped yesterday but nothing else. Mom's 84th birthday is today so we are taking her to the beautiful Garden Court at the historic Sheraton Palace Hotel in the city for a surprise lunch. Other than that, this weekend will be quiet for me. No gardening. No nothing. I need to let the medications take effect and try to heal my poor lungs.
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